Regulator system



Nov. 9, 1948. H. zlEBoLz REGULATOR SYSTEM Filed Nov. 22, 1943 (flu vuela/Twp :HERBERT ZIEBOLZ duces a direct current or voltage in Patented Nov. 9, i948- REGULATOR SYSTEM Herbert Zieboll,

Chicago, Ill.. assignor to Elecl tronbeam, Ltd., Chicago, Ill., a partnership Application November 22, 1943, Serial No. 511,332

4 Claims.

This invention relates to regulator systems for regulating various physical conditions such as temperature, pressure and the like. My invention is especially concerned with the use of a cathode ray tube in a regulator system designed to respond to variations in a given physical condition and to exercise control over apparatus tending to restore the condition to its original value or to a desired value.

In accordance with my invention, the electron beam of a cathode ray tube is deflected in response to changes in a condition to be regulated, and the deflection of the beam sets into operation a movable control element which acts to restore the condition to its original value. For the purpose oi' preventing overshooting of the regulating action, I provide means for generating a current or voltage having a value proportional to the.

speed of movement of the control member, and this variable current or voltage is applied to deflecting means tending to deflect the cathode ray beam in an opposite direction from the defiection caused by the change in the condition which resulted in movement of the control member.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which is a circuit diagram illustrating a system for maintaining a constant pressure in a uid supply system.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates a supply pipe for supplying fluid, -such as gas or liquid, under pressure to any suitable apparatus represented at 2 and which requires a constant pressure of the fluid supply. It will be understood that the fluid pressure supplied to the apparatus is subject to change, either by reason of changes in the pressure of the source of fluid or by changes in the apparatus 2, and the problem is to maintain a constant pressure at the intake for the apparatus 2. For the purpose of regulating the pressure a control valve 3 is positioned in the pipe I and a suitable pressure responsive device 4 is connected to the pipe I between the valve 3 and the consuming apparatus 2. The device 4 responds to the pressure in the pipe I and proits output circuit 4a, proportional to the pressure applied to the device. Such devices are well known and the details need not be described. The current produced by device 4 is employed to control the deflection of the beam oi .the-cathode ray tube.

The cathode ray tube may be of any known construction, but for the purpose of illustration it consists of an insulating envelopen5 enclosing a filament 6 for heating the cathode 'I which supplies electrons to form a cathode ray beam which passes through a perforated anode 8 which is maintained at a positive potential with respect to the cathode 1 by a source of potential represented by the battery 9v. The cathode ray beam is represented by the dotted lines I Il and is directed towards target anodes II and I2 positioned in the opposite end of the tube from the cathode 1. Anodes II and I2 are maintained at a positive potential by suitable connections to source 9 through coupling resistances IIa and I2a. Beam deflecting means represented by a pair of defiecting plates I3 is provided for fixing the initial position of the beam, and these plates are supplied with an adjustable voltage from a suitable source represented by battery I3a through potentiometer I3b. The output of pressure responsive device 4 is connected to energize a second beam deflecting means represented by the` coil I4, and this coil tends to deflect the beam in the opposite direction from plates I3. It will be understood that both defiecting means tend to shift the beam I0 from one target anode towards the other, and vice versa.

So long as the electron beam falls between target anodes II and upon the two anodes in equal amounts, there will be no difference of potential between the two target anodes. If, however, one target anode intercepts more electrons from the beam than the other, then a difference of potential develops between the anodes, and the polarity will depend upon which anode receives the greatest number of electrons.v

An adjustable portion of the voltage developed across anodes I I and I2 is applied between the grid elements of a pair of gaseous discharge tubes I6a and I6b by means of a potentiometer I5. The anode circuits o1' tubes IIa and IBb are energized from an alternating current circuit I1. The plate circuit for tube I6a includes a shaded pole winding I8a of a shaded pole motor I8, and the circuit for tube I6b includes the shaded pole winding Ib. The cathode return lead for both tubes includes a variable current limiting resistance I9. The field winding Ille of motor I8 is energized from A. C. circuit I1. Alternating current biasing potentials of the same phase and amplitude are supplied between the cathodes and the grid elements of tubes ISa and Ib from circuit I1 through potentiometer 20 and phase shifter 2|, the circuits to the two grids being completed through high resistances 22a and 22h connected in series across the grid elements. The function of the A. C. biasing potential is to normally pre- I2, or where the beam fallsv shaft ie and operating entrasse vent tiring of tubes isa and ith in the absence of an input signal. The function of phase shifter 2i is to adjust the phase oi the biasing potential with respect to the anode potentials so that the biasing potentials lead the anode potentials by slightly less than 180 and both tubes are in a, critical condition for operation by a small input voltage from potentiometer The phase shifter 2i overcomes the so-calied dead zone" of the tubes la and isb as more iully described in the co-pendiug application ci Paul Glass Serial No. 467,669, now Patent No. 2,386,677, dated October 9, 1945. lt will be understood that when a voltage is impressed on the tubes iba and itl; from potentiometer l5, one ci the grids is biased positively while the other is biased negatively, and the tube with the positive bias becomes operative to cause operation oil motorio in one direction. 'when the polarity oi the input voltage reverses, the other tube operates andcauses the motor to run in the opposite direction.

Motor i8 is connected to operate control valve 3 through any suitable driving mechanism represented by a pulley ltd mounted on the motor through beltta to drive pulley 3b connected with valve Motor shaft lac also drives the armature of a small D. C. pilot generator 23 having a field winding 23u energized from a suitable source of current. Pilot genera= tor 23 is connected through potentiometer 243 to a third beam deecting means represented by the coil 25 which is arranged to deect the beam i@ in a direction opposite to the direction oi de-1 fiection which initially caused the motor i8 to operate.

Operation of the regulating system is as follows: Potentiometer ith is first adjusted to determine the value oi the pressure to be maintained at the inlet of apparatus 2. lThe movable element oi this potentiometer may be provided with a suitable scale graduated in terms or pressure. Deectlng plates i3 tend to deflect the beam in a direction to cause operation of motor i@ in proper direction to open valve As the pressure in apparatus 2 builds up, the current in deflecting coil I4 produced by device il increases and tends to deflect beam. it in an opposite direction to plates i3, and as soon as the pressure reaches the desired point, the beam ill has been deilected back to its central or normal position between anodes il and it. The beam Will remain in this position so long as the pressure remains at the desired value. If the pressure varies from this value for any cause, there will be a change in current in deecting coil lil in response to the change in pressure, and the beam lil will be deiiected in a direction to energize motor itl and operate the valve 3 in a direction tending to restore the pressure to the initial or desired value. As motor it begins to operate, pilot generator 2li generates a voltage proportional to the speed of the motor and energizes coil 25 in a direction tending to restore the beam it to its neutral position. As soon as the motor has attained the speed sucient to restore the beam ill to its neutral position, the gaseous tube controlling the motor ceases to rire and the motor slows down with. a consequent reduction in the defiectlng action of coil 2b. T. the pressure has not been restored to its normal value, beam l@ will again be deflected in a direction to reenergize motor i@ which will cause a further movement o the valve 3 in the same direction tending to restore the beam to its neutral position. From the tores going it will be seen that delectlng coil causes the intermittent energlzaticn oi motor it to produce movement ci valve 3 in a direction to restore the pressure its normal value. The intermittent energica.. i of the motor will produce an average motor speed which is proportional to the amount of departure of the condition from the set or desired value. Accordingly, the motor speed will be relatively high at the beginning or" the adjustment for any `given departure ci the condition from its normal value, and the speed will decrease as the value of the condition approaches the normal value, and this action tends to prevent overshooting oi the regulator.

In case the pressure should change in an opposite direction :from that described above, the motor 8B will bedrlven in an opposite direction, and the voltage supplied to deflecting coil by pilot generator 23 will also be reversed in direction, and the operation will be the same as described above. llt will be noted that the deiecting action of coil t5 is always ln a direction to oppose the resultant deiiecting action between defiecting plates it and deiiecting coil all.

It is not necessary to provide a separate deecting means for the pressure setting potentiometer 53D, since it is possible to incorporate this control in the energizing circuit of one of the other deflecting means. For example, the magnitude-setting potentiometer :may be connected in series With the coil le as shown at i3d' and i3b, or it may be connected in the circuit of coil 25 as shown at I3a and i379".

When the regulator system is employed for regulating temperature, the apparatus 2 might constitute a heater or burner supplied with fuel from pipe i, and the device 4, instead of responding to pressure, would comprise a temperature responsive device, such as a thrmocouple, arranged to respond to the temperature or" the heater 2. It will be obvious that my control system may be employed for regulating other physical conditions than those specifically referred to herein.

The term cathode ray tube is used in a generic sense to designate an electron tube of the type embodying means for producing a relatively narrow beam of electrons which is deiiectable with respect to one more stationary receiving or target anodes.

I claim:

l. In a regulator the combination of a movable control element for varying the magnitude of a condition to be regulated, means for operating said control element including an electron beam relay, manually adjustable magnitude setting means including a rst defiecting means establishing a beam deilecting eld acting on the beam of said relay and tending to deflect the beam of said relay in one direction, a second beam deflecting means establishing a beam de ectng eld acting on said beam and tending to deect said beam in the opposite direction, and means for energizing said second defiecting means in accordance with the value oi said condition, a third beam cleecting means establish- .ing a beam deflecting eld acting on said beam and tending to deect said beam in opposition to said second deflecting means, and means for energizing said third deilecting means in accordance with the speed of movement of said control element.

2. In a regulator sy'stem, the combination of a movable control element for varying the magnitude of a condition to be regulated, means for operating said control element including an electron beam relay having beam detlecting means, means for establishing a beam defiecting iield tending to deilect said beam in a direction to increase the value of said condition, said field being oi a predetermined magnitude and independent of the value of said condition, means for establishing a second beam deflecting eld of a value proportional to the value of said condition and in opposition to said rst iield whereby said beam is deflected in accordance with' the resultant between said fields, and means responsive to the movement of said control element for establishing a third beam deiiecting iield to oppose the deflection of said beam by said resultant field and of a value proportional to the speed of movement of said control element.

3. In a regulator system, the combination of a movable control element for varying the magn nitude of a condition to be regulated, means for operating said control element including an electron beam relay, magnitude setting means including a first deflecting means energized -by a predetermined amount independently of the value of said condition and producing a iield tending to deect the beam of said relay in a direction to increase the value of said condition, a second beam deflecting means producing a field tending to deilect said beam in the opposite direction, means for energizing said second deilecting means in accordance with the value of said condition, a third means producing a beam deiiecting neld, and means for energizing said third beam deiiecting means in accordance with the speed of movement of said control element and in a direction tending to oppose the resultant deiiection produced by said rst and second beam defiecting means. v

4. In a regulator system, the combination of a movable control element for varying the magnitude of a condition to be regulated, means for operatingsaid control element including an electron beam relay having beam detiecting means, magnitude setting means comprising means for normally deecting the electron beam of said relay in a direction to increase the magnitude of said condition, means responsive to the magnitude of said condition and acting on said beam deflecting means in opposition to the action of said magnitude setting means and thereby limiting the increase in said condition' to a value determined by the setting of said magnitude setting means, and means controlled by movement of said control element for energizing said beam deiiecting means in proportion to the speed of movement of said control element and in a directlon tending to oppose the movement of said control element.

HERBERT ZIEBOLZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,057,773 Finch Oct. 20, 1936 2,096,012 Soller Oct. 19, 1937 2,105,598 Hubbard Jan. 18, 1938 2,113,164 Williams Apr. 5, 1938 2,113,436 Williams Apr. 5, 1938 2,214,019 Gray Sept. 10, 1940 2,314,302 Ziebolz Mar. 16, 1942 2,331,698 Keeler Oct. 12, 1943 2,339,289 Olken Jan. 18, 1944 2,339,861 Keeler Jan. 25, 1944 2,352,103 Jones June 20, 1944 2,376,882 Olken May 29, 1945 

